Lab Made Dry Ice Cream
HK’s First Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream Parlour

[22/08/12]

Lab Made, Hong Kong's first liquid nitrogen ice cream parlour, has only been open a month and they've already sold out on two of the last four Sundays. The product is fantastic and costs roughly HK$40-a-pop. They take fresh ingredients, whack it with dry ice and a few moments later you're staring at a pot of cold deliciousness. And don't forget the visuals. The waves of cold, heavy vapour make you feel like you're in Dexter's Laboratory.

Established by a Hong Kong couple from Manchester (who tried liquid nitrogen ice cream in England and decided to move back home to launch it as a business) Lab Made offers four flavours which change every fortnight. Unfortunately the sticky toffee pudding was no longer available but no matter, we tried the lemon meringue pie and purple rice - their best seller. Although both were good, the latter was truly exceptional. The Michael Phelps of the ice cream world.

We're not kidding when we say they literally take raw ingredients, blend it up and freeze it with dry ice. That's what makes it so fresh, and because it's frozen at -196°C, big crystals don't have enough time to form which makes the ice cream very smooth. The trade-off is that it contains no preservatives and it melts quickly so you have to eat it in their CWB shop. The eating's not the problem - you're gagging to - but you'll be irked when you get back at home and have to turn to Dreyer's again.